Manifold for respiratory device

Abstract

A respiratory device includes a blower having an inlet and an outlet, a patient interface, and a valve including a valve member that is rotatable through a first angular displacement in a first direction from a first position to a second position. The outlet of the blower is coupled to the patient interface so that positive pressure is provided to a patient's airway via the patient interface when the valve member is in the first position. The inlet of the blower is coupled to the patient interface so that negative pressure is provided to the patient's airway via the patient interface when the valve member is in the second position. The valve member is rotatably oscillated back and forth when the valve member is in the first position and when the valve member is in the second position so that oscillations in the positive pressure and negative pressure, respectively, are provided to the patient's airway.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A respiratory device comprising
 a blower having an inlet and an outlet, 
 a patient interface, and 
 a valve including a valve member that is rotatable through a first angular displacement in a first direction from a first position to a second position, wherein the outlet of the blower is coupled to the patient interface so that positive pressure is provided to a patient's airway via the patient interface when the valve member is in the first position, wherein the inlet of the blower is coupled to the patient interface so that negative pressure is provided to the patient's airway via the patient interface when the valve member is in the second position, wherein the valve member is rotatably oscillated back and forth through a second angular displacement that is smaller than the first angular displacement in the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction when the valve member is in the first position and when the valve member is in the second position so that oscillations in the positive pressure and negative pressure, respectively, are provided to the patient's airway, 
 wherein the valve member comprises a rotatable plate and the valve comprises a pair of stationary plates between which the rotatable plate is sandwiched, 
 wherein each of the stationary plates has four holes, a center of each hole of the four holes being spaced from another center of the four holes by about 90° around an axis about which the rotatable plate rotates, and the rotatable plate has four holes grouped into pairs of holes with a center of each hole of the pair of holes being spaced from a center of the other hole of the pair by about 45° around the axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein the first angular displacement is less than 90°. 
     
     
       3. The respiratory device of  claim 2 , wherein the second angular displacement is about 10°. 
     
     
       4. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein a frequency of oscillation of the valve member is adjustable between about 1 Hertz and about 20 Hertz. 
     
     
       5. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a stepper motor that is operable to rotate and oscillate the valve member. 
     
     
       6. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising control circuitry coupled to the blower and to the valve, a graphical user interface (GUI) coupled to the control circuitry, and one or more of the following coupled to the control circuitry: a port for connection to a wireless communication module, a universal serial bus (USB) port, and a port for connection to a pulse oximetry device. 
     
     
       7. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising control circuitry coupled to the blower and to the valve and a graphical user interface (GUI) coupled to the control circuitry, the GUI being operable to display one or more of the following: peak flow information, pressure information, flow information, volume information, a pressure graph, a volume graph, a flow graph, a flow vs. volume graph, and a pressure vs. time graph. 
     
     
       8. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication module that is operable to transmit data wirelessly from the respiratory device. 
     
     
       9. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a port pneumatically coupled to the valve and an adapter that interconnects the port with a hose of the patient interface. 
     
     
       10. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a housing containing the blower, 
 an outlet port accessible on the housing, 
 at least one pressure sensor and at least one flow sensor to measure pressure and flow, respectively, in a flow path between the valve and the outlet port, 
 the patient interface comprising a tube having a first end coupled to the outlet port and a mask coupled to a second end of the tube, and 
 a controller receiving signals from the pressure sensor and the flow sensor to determine an inspiratory trigger indicative that the patient has started to inhale, the pressure source or the valve or both being operationally adjusted in response to detection of the inspiratory trigger, wherein based on a flow sensor signal from the flow sensor the controller is configured to determine mask removal or mask leakage and to stop operation of the blower. 
 
     
     
       11. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein the stationary plates between which the rotatable plate is sandwiched each have circular outer peripheries. 
     
     
       12. The respiratory device of  claim 11 , wherein the rotatable plate has a circular outer periphery. 
     
     
       13. The respiratory device of  claim 12 , wherein the valve comprises an annular shim that is situated between the pair of stationary plates and that surrounds the outer periphery of the rotatable plate. 
     
     
       14. The respiratory device of  claim 11 , wherein each of the four holes of each of the stationary plates is circular. 
     
     
       15. The respiratory device of  claim 14 , wherein the four holes of the rotatable plate are circular. 
     
     
       16. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein a first plate of the pair of stationary plates has a first hole and a second hole of its four holes pneumatically coupled to the inlet of the blower and has a third hole and fourth hole of its four holes pneumatically coupled to the outlet of the blower. 
     
     
       17. The respiratory device of  claim 16 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the first position, a first hole of the four holes of the rotatable plate is aligned with the first hole of the first stationary plate and a solid portion of the rotatable plate blocks the second hole of the first stationary plate. 
     
     
       18. The respiratory device of  claim 17 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the second position, the first hole of the first stationary plate is blocked by another solid portion of the rotatable plate and a second hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the second hole of the first stationary plate. 
     
     
       19. The respiratory device of  claim 17 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the first position a third hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the third hole of the first stationary plate and another solid portion of the rotatable plate blocks the fourth hole of the first stationary plate. 
     
     
       20. The respiratory device of  claim 19 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the second position, the third hole of the first stationary plate is blocked by yet another solid portion of the rotatable plate and a fourth hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the fourth hole of the first stationary plate. 
     
     
       21. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein a second plate of the pair of stationary plates has a first hole and a second hole of its four holes pneumatically coupled to the patient interface and has a third hole and fourth hole of its four holes pneumatically coupled to atmosphere. 
     
     
       22. The respiratory device of  claim 21 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the first position, a first hole of the four holes of the rotatable plate is aligned with the first hole of the second stationary plate and a solid portion of the rotatable plate blocks the second hole of the second stationary plate. 
     
     
       23. The respiratory device of  claim 22 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the second position, the first hole of the second stationary plate is blocked by another solid portion of the rotatable plate and a second hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the second hole of the second stationary plate. 
     
     
       24. The respiratory device of  claim 22 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the first position a third hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the third hole of the second stationary plate and another solid portion of the rotatable plate blocks the fourth hole of the second stationary plate. 
     
     
       25. The respiratory device of  claim 24 , wherein when the rotatable plate is in the second position, the third hole of the second stationary plate is blocked by yet another solid portion of the rotatable plate and a fourth hole of the rotatable plate is aligned with the fourth hole of the second stationary plate. 
     
     
       26. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein a speed of the blower is controlled so that the positive pressure provided to the airway of the patient substantially matches a positive target pressure selected by a user and so that the negative pressure provided to the airway of the patient substantially matches a negative target pressure selected by the user. 
     
     
       27. The respiratory device of  claim 26 , wherein the blower speed is controlled so that a positive rest pressure, less than the positive target pressure, is provided to the airway of the patient after the negative target pressure is applied to the airway of the patient and before the next positive target pressure is applied to the airway of the patient. 
     
     
       28. The respiratory device of  claim 27 , wherein the blower speed is controlled so that a sigh pressure is applied to the airway of the patient at the end of a therapy session, the sigh pressure being greater than the positive rest pressure but less than the positive target pressure. 
     
     
       29. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to sense a beginning of an inspiration of the patient and control circuitry coupled to the sensor and to the valve, the control circuitry signaling the valve to move to the first position in response to the sensor sensing the beginning of the inspiration of the patient, and the control circuitry signaling the blower to operate to provide the positive pressure to the airway of the patient at a positive target pressure. 
     
     
       30. The respiratory device of  claim 29 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor or a flow sensor or both. 
     
     
       31. The respiratory device of  claim 29 , wherein the control circuitry is programmable with a pause time during which sensing of the beginning of an inspiration of the patient is ignored by the control circuitry and the control circuitry signals the blower to operate to provide a rest pressure to the airway of the patient, the rest pressure being a positive pressure that is less than the positive target pressure. 
     
     
       32. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing in which the blower and valve are housed and a hose connector coupled to the housing, the hose connector being configured to retain a hose of the patient interface adjacent the housing when the patient interface is not in use. 
     
     
       33. The respiratory device of  claim 32 , wherein the housing includes a handle and the hose connector comprises a hook extending from a back of the handle. 
     
     
       34. The respiratory device of  claim 32 , wherein the housing includes a top wall and the hose connector comprises a hose clip coupled to the top wall. 
     
     
       35. The respiratory device of  claim 34 , further comprising a power cord extending from the housing and the hose clip being configured as a cord wrap around which the power cord is wrapped when not in use. 
     
     
       36. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing in which the blower and valve are housed and a carrying case in which the housing fits, the carrying case having a section with a door that is openable to provide access to user controls on the housing without the need to remove the housing from the case. 
     
     
       37. The respiratory device of  claim 36 , wherein the door pivots upwardly or downwardly from a closed position to an open position to expose the user controls for use. 
     
     
       38. The respiratory device of  claim 36 , wherein the carrying case is configured for attachment to a wheel chair. 
     
     
       39. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , wherein the valve includes a third stationary plate situated between the second stationary plate and the rotatable plate and further comprising at least one spring situated between the second stationary plate and the third stationary plate to bias the third stationary plate against the rotatable plate. 
     
     
       40. The respiratory device of  claim 39 , wherein the third stationary plate also has four holes and is formed to include four tubular portions, each tubular portion being in registry with a respective hole of the four holes of the second stationary plate. 
     
     
       41. The respiratory device of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one spring comprises four springs, each spring of the four springs being mounted on a respective tubular portion of the four tubular portions. 
     
     
       42. The respiratory device of  claim 39 , wherein the second stationary plate includes an annular rim that surrounds a first outer periphery of the third stationary plate and a second outer periphery of the rotatable plate. 
     
     
       43. The respiratory device of  claim 42 , wherein the second stationary plate includes an annular flange projecting radially from the annular rim, the annular flange being fastened to the first stationary plate. 
     
     
       44. The respiratory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing containing the blower,
 an outlet port accessible on the housing, 
 the patient interface being configured to be coupled to the outlet port, the patient interface including a filter housing that includes an air filter carrier and at least one prong extending from the air filter carrier, and 
 at least one switch situated in the housing, the housing having at least one prong-receiving aperture adjacent the outlet port, the at least one prong extending through the aperture and activating the switch when the respective patient interface is coupled to the outlet port, the pressure source being disabled from operation unless the at least one switch is activated. 
 
     
     
       45. The respiratory device of  claim 44 , wherein the patient interface comprises a first patient interface and a second patient interface that is distinct and separate from the first patient interface, wherein the at least one prong of the first patient interface comprises only one prong and the at least one prong of the second patient interface comprises two prongs. 
     
     
       46. The respiratory device of  claim 45 , wherein the at least one switch comprises first and second switches and the at least one prong-receiving aperture comprises first and second apertures, and further comprising a controller that distinguishes whether the first patient interface or the second patient interface is coupled to the outlet port based on how many of the first and second switches are activated. 
     
     
       47. The respiratory therapy device of  claim 1 , wherein the patient interface includes a handset, the handset comprising a generally banana-shaped tube having an upper surface that is generally convex from end-to-end of the generally banana-shaped tube and a bottom surface that is generally concave from end-to-end of the generally banana-shaped tube, the generally banana-shaped tube having opposite first and second open ends and having a nebulizer port that is provided at an apex of the upper surface such that, in use, a nebulizer extends upwardly from a top of the handset. 
     
     
       48. The respiratory device of  claim 47 , further comprising an aperture extending through the generally banana-shaped tube adjacent the first open end of the generally banana-shaped tube and a ring that is rotatable between a first position in which the aperture is open to atmosphere and a second position in which the aperture is closed.